Blaxploitation

A genre of early-70s action film, with black protagonists. We remember Shaft or Superfly, but forget the lame sequels and imitative, B-movie crap that followed in their wake. The atmosphere (noir + Technicolor + urban decay) seeped its way into some TV detective shows of the day; some soundtracks, by people like Curtis Mayfield and Isaac Hayes, have survived the era. Do yourself a favor: rent Cotton Comes to Harlem or Cooley High instead.

Though the films embraced or parodied the conventions of almost all existing genres, the phrase is usually applied to inner-city crime and action films, notorious for their crude sensationalism, graphic violence, overt sexuality, revenge themes, and depiction of drug use. Characters varied from private eyes, to pimps and dealers, to feminist action heroes, but all exhibited racial pride, detested the American bourgeoisie mindset, and gave little respect to the Establishment.

One of the biggest offshoots of the genre was the music. Isaac Hayes's score for Shaft, and Curtis Mayfield's for Superfly were incredible successes and have greatly outlived the mainstream popularity of their respective films.

One final note is the effect these films had on the entertainment genre. The frame these films were based on, and especially their music, spread to the rest of hollywood and resulted in television shows such as Starksy and Hutch, Kojak, and Hawaii 5-0. While most of these shows center on the detective or cop, the soundtracks and action owe much to Shaft and its cohorts.